Dairy Farmers of America
| Company type | Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Kansas , United States |
Area served | United States, Global |
| Products | Milk marketing, dairy products, food ingredients, dairy components, shelf-stable dairy items |
Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) operates as a nationwide cooperative in the United States, specializing in milk marketing. It handles the distribution of its members' raw milk and offers a range of dairy products, food ingredients, components, and shelf-stable dairy items to wholesale clients both within the U.S. and globally. In 2016, DFA reported net revenues of $13.5 billion, accounting for approximately 22% of the nation’s raw milk output.
History
Established in 1998 through the consolidation of four regional cooperatives—Associated Milk Producers Inc. (Southern region), Mid-America Dairymen Inc., Milk Marketing Inc., and Western Dairymen Cooperative Inc.—DFA has expanded by integrating five more cooperatives over time, including Independent Cooperative Milk Producers Association and Dairylea Cooperative Inc. The organization relocated its headquarters from a site near Kansas City International Airport in Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas in 2017.
DFA’s expansion has been marked by strategic acquisitions: it purchased Kemps of St. Paul, Minnesota from HP Hood in 2011; acquired Oakhurst and merged with Dairylea Cooperative Inc. in 2014; took full ownership of DairiConcepts, previously a joint venture with Fonterra Co-operative Group, in 2015; and bought Cumberland Dairy, known for ultra-pasteurized products, in 2017.
In February 2020, DFA announced its plan to acquire Dean Foods—the largest milk producer across the U.S.—for $433 million, including 44 processing facilities. This transaction was finalized in May 2020, substantially enhancing DFA’s production capabilities and market presence.
Brands
- Arla (licensed)
- Fromageries Bel (licensed)
- Breakstone's Butter (trademark licensed from Lactalis)
- Cache Valley Creamery
- California Gold Dairy Products
- Cass-Clay Creamery
- Craigs Station Creamery
- Dairy Maid Dairy
- Falfurrias
- Guida's Dairy
- Hotel Bar
- Keller's Creamery
- Kemps
- La Vaquita
- Live Real Farms
- Meadow Gold
- Oakhurst
- Plugrá
- Sport Shake
Commodity price manipulation issues
In 2008, Dairy Farmers of America along with two former executives resolved Commodity Futures Trading Commission allegations by paying $12 million related to efforts to manipulate Class III milk futures contracts and violations involving speculative position limits.
See also
- List of dairy product companies in the United States